The Goldman Case (2024)

Chronicling the second trial of Pierre Goldman, a far-left militant who had previously been convicted of killing two pharmacists and numerous robberies in France, Cédric Kahn's film is a gripping courtroom drama anchored by an excellent performance by Arieh Worthalter as Goldman. The 1976 trial of Goldman was big news in France; Goldman had become something of a legendary figure after publishing his polemical autobiography 'Obscure Memories of a Polish Jew Born in France' while in prison, and secured a retrial on the basis that the original investigation was flawed, and that he had an alibi for the night of the murders.

Nearly the entire film takes place inside the courtroom, with brief interludes while Goldman's lawyer begs him to adjust his approach in court- at times the courtroom resembles a circus with various members of the public shouting encouragement or abuse at Goldman's impassioned speeches or answers, and this isn't the only artistic license that Kahn's film allows. The film is also amusing at points, often exasperatingly so (in a good way) mainly due to Goldman's instance that his sincerity alone is enough to dismiss all testimony. Kahn's film sometimes feels like an extended sequence from a scene in the superb French drama series Spiral (2005-2020), again that's a compliment; not only is it a favourable comparison, it's more proof The Goldman Case holds its own outside a French context.

What makes Goldman's trial so intriguing is his own self-awareness of what he's doing- he openly admits to almost all of the crimes attributed to him, but refuses to accept the murders. Never embellishing his many offences nor seemingly offering any guilt or remorse, Goldman is a fascinating character captured with rapturous vigour by Worthalter, pulling us into the courtroom by the scruff of the neck, and holding us there for the film's duration.

Leaving the even more spectacular background to the story out of the picture, those who don't know the tale will be interested in said events once the film reaches its conclusion. It's no spoiler to say that Goldman was assassinated three years after this trial, a crime that remains unsolved to this day. Perhaps the mysteries of Goldman's eventual demise are apt; the outlandish approach he brings to this infamous court case was baffling even to those attempting to defend him, and Kahn's film- despite its touches of questionable artistic license- allows us an insight into what exactly these fantastical events looked like. 7.8/10